YouTube's 2023 Brandcast: Influencers, Interactivity and "NFL Sunday Ticket"

The Big Message: YouTube is the top worldwide destination for watching TV, and increasingly, smart TV products are the way people turn on and watch YouTube. That's why the race is on for advertisers to make YouTube and multichannel bundle YouTube TV a bigger source for campaign spending -- and a natural starting point to create interactive messages on a regular basis. "Viewers, especially younger viewers, no longer make a distinction between the kind of content they're watching," explained Neil Mohan, YouTube's Chief Executive Officer. "When they turn on their TVs, they want everything they love in one place, from their favorite creators to blockbuster movies to football. And they can find it all here."

Hosts: Award-winning singer/pianist Jacob Collier led a group of YouTube content creators taking turns in the host role, joined by Mohan, Google President, Sales Sean Downey and YouTube Chief Business Officer Mary Ellen Coe. Near the end, Collier engaged the audience in a sing-along of the Queen classic tune "Somebody to Love."

What Worked: Dedicating segments of the presentation to specific genres of YouTube content -- music (videos/live concert and festival coverage), gaming, fashion/beauty and sports. One impressive sequence combined dancers in white outfits with a runway of models showing off designs from a YouTube creator.

What Also Worked: Back-to-back segments on how advertisers boost viewer reach and sales results with YouTube campaigns. The first segment depicted overall creative from Nissan, Walmart and Hershey brand Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, while the second explored innovative approaches with smart TV carriage in mind from Dyson and Hilton Hotels.

What Didn't Work: Airrack, the YouTube personality whose penchant for pizza led to the creation of the world's largest pizza pie (with assistance from Pizza Hut), generated tremendous buzz from attendees when suggesting every person was about to munch down a slice. Alas, what came to their seats was a boxed pizza cookie.

Bonus Points: National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell came on stage to spotlight NFL Sunday Ticket moving to YouTube and YouTube TV this fall. For the finale, singing/rapping superstar Doja Cat (in black Catwoman garb) did a song medley accompanied by dancers dressed in the style of Mad Men's opening title sequence.

Data Points: YouTube is the top destination for Generation Z (age 18-24) sports fans, and overall, the venture's Gen Z crowd rates YouTube the top video platform they need to engage with things they're passionate about. More than 150 million people in the U.S. are now watching YouTube regularly through smart TV devices. Over 30 percent of YouTube viewers 18 years and up are not reachable by other ad-supported services distributed through smart TV sets, devices or multichannel bundles.

News: NFL Sunday Ticket, incorporating new features like live chat and the ability to see multiple live games on one screen, will be the linchpin for a wider content partnership between the league and YouTube, Goodell announced. Various content creators and influencers in genres from food to fashion will be encouraged to originate episodes from NFL game sites starting this season. New seriesGame Day All Access will offer sideline activity during individual games, with players wearing microphones. And YouTube Shorts will deliver NFL Creator of the Week, each week presenting game highlights and sidelights from one creator's perspective. Two new smart TV-specific advertising options will get off the ground in the weeks ahead: seamless pause ad experiences and 30-second non-skippable messages on YouTube Selects content.

Parting Words:

"Today in a world where people can watch anything, the world watches YouTube. What's coming to this world will change TV forever." -- Neal Mohan, YouTube's Chief Executive Officer

"Being a pop star is way more intensive than it sounds." -- YouTube content maker Michelle Khare

"There's nothing romantic about finding love in a chicken shop … or is there? I've done 80 episodes of this series and yes, I'm still single." -- Chicken Shop Date subject/producer Amelia Dimoldenberg

"The world is experiencing the next big platform shift with artificial intelligence. Google isn't just ready for the AI shift. The shift is powered by our technology and innovation." -- Sean Downey, Google's President, Sales

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